Thoughts & Musings
Chicago Aldermen: White Collar Criminals
An analysis of pension fund documents for 21 aldermen who retired under the plan shows they are in line to receive nearly $58 million during their expected lifetimes, though contributions and assumed investment returns are predicted to cover just $19 million, or a...
Rooting Out Bad Cop
Cops are people. Some are going to be trouble no matter how hard you try to keep them out. However this is just nutty: Of 441 police misconduct lawsuits that led to city payments between January 2009 and November 2011, nearly a third—or 145—involved the “repeaters,”...
IL, 3rd Worst for Business …again
Let's first get some background on the winners: In Chief Executive’s eighth annual survey of CEO opinion of Best and Worst States in which to do business, Texas easily clinched the No. 1 rank, the eighth successive time it has done so. California earns the dubious...
Afghanistan – The Forgotten War
Consider: Since Apr. 24, the following American service members have died as a result of continuing operations in Afghanistan. Spc. Manuel Vasquez, 22, West Sacramento, California Spc. Benjamin Neal, 21, Orfordville, Wisconsin Spc. Jason Edens, 22, Franklin, Tennessee...
Derrick Smith ‘I intend to fight these charges’
State Rep. Derrick Smith on Monday spoke publicly for the first time about his bribery case, saying he would not “cower” and vowing to fight the charge against him.Holding a prepared statement in front of him and talking in a shaky voice minutes after he pleaded not...
Another Foreclosure Wave Arrives
Half a decade into the deepest U.S. housing crisis since the 1930s, many Americans are hoping the crisis is finally nearing its end. House sales are picking up across most of the country, the plunge in prices is slowing and attempts by lenders to claim back properties...
CPS Director Accepted Gifts from Top Vendors
Now, [CPS Chief of Food Services Louise Esaian] and two members of her staff are accused in a report by CPS inspector general James Sullivan of accepting perhaps thousands of dollars in gifts from Chartwells and another vendor, Preferred Meals Systems, that have...
Governments’ CCTV System Knows You
It's 1984 all over again: A new camera technology from Hitachi Hokusai Electric can scan days of camera footage instantly, and find any face which has EVER walked past it. Its makers boast that it can scan 36 million faces per second. The technology raises the spectre...
How Retirement Benefits May Sink Illinois
We're national news again. ... Indiana's debt for unfunded retiree health-care benefits, for example, amounts to just $81 per person. Neighboring Illinois's accumulated obligations for the same benefit average $3,399 per person. Illinois is an object lesson in why...
Obama Has More Fundraisers Than Previous Five Presidents Combined
I offer this by way of observation only; make up your own mind as to what it means. More from the Brits: Barack Obama has already held more re-election fundraising events than every elected president since Richard Nixon combined, according to figures to be published...
Windfarms Increase Night Temperatures (a la Global Warming)
U.S. main stream media so far slow to respond: Large windfarms can increase local night time temperatures by fanning warmer air onto the ground, new research has revealed. The study used satellite data to show that the building of huge windfarms in west Texas over the...
IL’s ‘Amazon-tax law’ Unconstitutional – 9K Jobs Lost for Nothing
An Illinois law aimed at leveling competition between online and offline retailers while collecting more state sales taxes owed from Internet purchases is unconstitutional a Cook County judge said Wednesday. ... In March 2011, Illinois passed the Main Street Fairness...
IL Legislators Should Give-up Pensions
Illinois lawmakers ought to give up their state pensions. Legislators are part-time employees, but they make nearly $70,000 a year and in some cases can qualify for a pension after as little as four years in office at age 62. If they were elected before 2011, they can...
Teaching (Indoctrinating) Chicago Students to Protest
Jones College Prep, a Chicago Public Schools “selective enrollment” school, held “Social Justice Week” in March, a collection of events geared towards turning students into activists. See the schedule of events here. According to a flyer on the school’s website:...
lllinois Moves Toward Insolvency
We're now making national news: After trying to tax Illinois to governmental solvency and economic dynamism, Pat Quinn, a Democrat who has been governor since 2009, now says “our rendezvous with reality has arrived.” ... Illinois was more heavily taxed than the five...
How America Will Fail
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-4gnNz0vc?rel=0]
DHS/TSA & 450 Million Hollow Point Bullets
1 + 1 = Concern. Start with this: The DHS has signed off on an “indefinite delivery” from defense contractors ATK that will include, for some reason, nearly 500 million high-power ammunition for .40 caliber firearms. The department has yet to discuss why they are...
I truly believe that what the poor people in our community need is not more handouts from the government -- which only makes them more enslaved to the government -- but real freedom. Dr. Paul is a huge supporter of freedom. This is good news.
New Zealand Mulls $100 for Pack of Cigarettes
New Zealand’s Health Ministry has reportedly considered boosting the price of a pack of cigarettes as high as $100 ($81 U.S.) in a bid to make the country smoke free by 2025. An internal government working paper raised the possibility of upping the cost of a...
Bank of America Hates the Second Amendment
McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing and McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years. But no more: In a recent meeting, the mega-bank told the firearms company that its business is no longer...